Great Lakes Imperial Oyster Stout

The oyster stout has always perplexed me.  I am not a brewmaster. I have never brewed a beer. However, I have shucked many an oyster.  And, with a deep knowledge of the oyster, I have a hard time picturing how a brewer can add oysters to a beer to make an oyster stout.

Of course, this style of beer has existed for quite some time.  Back in the late 1800s, oysters were added to beer to "promote clarity."  Whether that clarity was ever achieved, it was undeniable that oysters provided a subtle, smooth mouthfeel and a briny flavor to the beer. To be sure, there is a difference between an oyster stout and a run-of-the-mill stout.  The mouthfeel and brine that is provided by oysters is perhaps the reason why brewers have continued to add oysters to beer. After all, what does clarity have to do with an oyster stout?  An oyster stout beer is supposed to be as black as pitch darkness. 

Anyways, if I had to choose what would be the best oyster stout that I have ever had, it would be the Great Lakes Imperial Oyster Stout.  The brewers at Great Lakes used "East Coast oysters," which is a useless label, given the wide variety of oysters along the eastern coast of the United States. For example, there is a huge difference between oysters found in the estuaries in Maine and the oysters found in the Chesapeake Bay.  Whatever oysters were used, they clearly did add a smoothness in the body of the beer and a slight briny element in the finish. 

As for the other ingredients, the brewers used an interesting combination of malts and hops.  The malts include Harrington 2-Row, Roasted Barley, Oats, Chcoolate, Cara 45.  The hops were both Simcoe and Mt. Hood. The other ingredients included the obvious -- oysters -- and the less the slightly less obvious -- cacao nibs and salt. The end result is a beer with an IBU of 37 and an ABV of 11%.

The Imperial Oyster Stout pours pitch black, the blackness one would expect when he or she  was floating in the middle of deep space, far away from the light of any star.  A slight tan foam appears as the beer is poured in to the glass.  The foam recedes rather quickly to the edges of the glass, exposing the beer to the nose.  

The aromatic elements, along with the taste of the beer, of the beer heavily emphasize the roasted malts.  There are notes of chocolate, as well as some mild coffee flavors in the taste of the beer.  The thing that sets this oyster stout apart from the others that I have had in the past is that there was truly a "softness" in the beer, which could only be attributed to the oysters.  

This beer is definitely worth the purchase. My only regret is that I did not buy an extra bottle.  Until next time...

ENJOY!

Barrel Aged Butcher and Brewer

It has been more than a year since I did a beer or wine review.  The reason is simple.  I was posting fewer and fewer recipes due to the lack of time that I had to write the posts.  I was also cooking less for a period of time, but I was still having a beer or a glass of wine.  I did not want Chef Bolek to become a beer or wine blog.  So, I decided to hold off on any further beer or wine reviews until I started cooking more and started posting more.  

Well, I am cooking more, but not posting more.  Nevertheless, I realized that a total hiatus of beer and wine reviews may not be a good thing.  This is particularly true when it comes to beers or wines I may never find again. i come across some beers and wine by happenstance.  One of those beers was the Big Belgo Bourbon Stout from Butcher and Brewer.

I was in Cleveland for a while about a year ago when I was in a local grocery store that just happens to have a large beer selection.  While I was perusing the beers, I came across one bottle of one beer that stuck out.  It was sandwiched between multiple selections from other breweries.  Just one beer.  For one brewer.  And it was a brewer that I had never heard of before. 

For those who know me, the name is something that naturally caught my attention.  Butcher and Brewer.  It is a local restaurant, market and brewery located in downtown Cleveland.  Its menu offers a range of cured meats and cheeses, along with small and big plates.  As for the beers, the Cleveland Brewing Company provides the brews, which run the gamut of styles.

The Big Belgo Bourbon Stout is a "Belgian-Russian" Imperial Stout that is aged in bourbon barrels.  I am not quite sure what is a "Belgian-Russian" Imperial Stout.  While the Belgians brew a variety of dark strong ales, I am not sure there is a history of Belgians brewing Russian Imperial Stouts (as that style originated in England). 

Nevertheless, this Belgo Bourbon Stout makes one forget about history and classification.The beer pours a pitch black, as one would expect a Russian Imperial Stout.  A thin foam builds up and quickly recedes to reveal the beautiful blackness beneath.  The aromatic elements of the beer feature the bourbon up front.  The mellow tones of the bourbon greet the nostrils, followed by a slight oak of the barrels and a little of the yeast.  As for the taste, it is first and foremost bourbon whisky.  The bourbon is such the star that it shines over the other elements, such as the yeast and malts.  Those back-up elements are there.  A slight note of coffee or chocolate lingers in the background.   I would have liked to have tasted a little more of the malt, but it could not make its way out of the bourbon.  

Overall, this is a very good beer. As it turns out, this is not the first Belgo-Russian Imperial Stout that I have tried.  (I previously reviewed an offering from Stone.)  While I have grown to like the taste of bourbon in a stout, the strong bourbon presence makes this a definite sipping beer.  One that can be enjoyed while writing a review about it.  The beer definitely makes me want to return to Cleveland, and, check out the Butcher and Brewer in person.  If the beer is this good, I can only think of how good the charcuterie could be....

ENJOY!

Cellar Rats Russian Imperial Stout

The use of a hammer and sickle on a label for a Russian Imperial Stout seems to be somewhat of a paradox.  A historical contradiction.  After all, the Russian Imperial Stout style emerged in the court of the Czar Peter the Great.  British brewers increased the alcohol and hops in their porters to create a beer that could be transported to St. Petersburg.  The beer continued to thrive in the courts of successor Czars, such as Catherine the Great.  According to one historian, "The Empress of all Russia is so partial to Porter that she has ordered repeatedly very large quantities for her own drinking and that of her court."  The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St. Saviour, Southwark.

Yet, the hammer and sickle is the emblem of the Soviet Union, whose founders overthrew the Czarist court, executed the Czar, and implemented a version of communism that lasted over eight hundred years.  While Soviet leader may have been preoccupied in Western imperialism, that focus was not on British beers.  One could safely assume that most Soviet leaders drank vodka, and a lot of it.    

This discussion is prompted by Cellar Rats Brewery's Black Rat Imperial Stout, whose label contains that historical contradiction.  According to the Beer Judge Certification Program, a Russian Imperial Stout should appear a very dark reddish brown to jet black, with a rich and complex aroma that should feature roasted malts, hops, and alcohol and a taste that could be reminiscent of bitter or unsweetened chocolate, cocoa or roasted coffee.  

The brewers at Cellar Rats have produced a Russian Imperial Stout that fits comfortably within the style.  The stout pours a jet black color, and a thick, puffy foam.  It has aromatic elements of roasted coffee.  Those earthy notes carry over to the taste, which is full of mellow, roasted malt notes wrapped in a thin sheet of booziness.  There is a little bitterness on the palate, most likely from the roasted malts, but also from the hops.  This bitterness is not overwhelming and does not detract from the overall smooth, mellow nature of this beer. 

I have to say that this is one of the better Russian Imperial Stouts that I have tasted.  I was given a bottle of this beer to try by my father, so I don't know the price of the beer or where to find it.  Given Cellar Rats Brewery is based on Madison, Ohio, I am sure that you can find the beer in Ohio.   If you see it on a menu or see a bottle in the store, it is worth trying.  

ENJOY!

Owning a Full Sail

Recently, a very good friend brought a bottle of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout  from Full Sail Brewing over to the Savage Boleks' household.  He picked up the bottle because it is an independent, employee-owned brewery. (We both have devoted our professional careers to working to further and protect the rights of employees, individually and through labor unions.)   Back in 1999, Full Sail divvied itself amongst its forty-seven employees.  The move, which turned Full Sail Brewery into an employee-owned enterprise, is a move that the brewery believes to be one of its proudest moments.

But that is not Full Sail Brewing's only accomplishment.  Full Sail also has its own award-winning water treatment plant.  It also distributes spent grain to nearby farmers, uses sustainable filtration system, packages its products in recycled paperboard, and supports hundreds of charities and events throughout the year.  Clearly a long list of accomplishments for a relatively small brewery.

Turning to the Bourbon Barreled Aged Imperial Stout, this offering from Full Sail displays some of the best characteristics of wood-aged beer.  Obviously, aging beer in oak barrels imparts some wood aromas and/or flavors to the beer.  The key is what barrels to use.  When brewers use bourbon barrels, they are often looking to add some more sophisticated flavors such as vanilla, caramel, toffee, or cocoa.  The brewers at Full Sail used those bourbon barrels to great effect with this Imperial Stout.  The beer itself pours a dark, inky black, which is as dark as night.  There is an off-white foam that develops as the beer is poured but it recedes and gives way to the blackness of the beer.  As the beer is brought to the nose, there is a clear sense of strong roasted malts and provides a foreshadowing of the alcohol content in the beer.  Each sip of the beer presents a roasted, almost coffee flavor, that is paired with chocolate and cocoa powder.  The use of the bourbon barrels is done very well.  While the alcohol makes itself present in the aroma, it is much more subtle or subdued in the flavor of the beer. 

My friend bought this beer at a local beer and wine store.  Full Sail has done a lot to increase its distribution in recent years and its beers -- like this Imperial Stout -- can be found at beer stores with larger selections of craft beer. Many thanks to the very good friend who brought me this beer ... you know who you are.

ENJOY!

The Tiny Beer

Back in the late eighteenth century, Thrale's Anchor Brewery was hard at work brewing beer.  They had to meet royal demand.  But the Anchor brewers were not brewing for King Phillip II, the sovereign of their native England.  Instead, they were brewing beer for a Queen or, more appropriately, a Czar ... Catherine the Great. 

The Anchor Brewery was not the first to produce beer for the Russian Imperial Court.  The Barclay brewery had produced beer for Peter the Great.  The beer was a porter, which was beloved by the Czar.  However, their beer spoiled during the long journey from London to St. Petersburg.  The embarrassment was too much.  The brewers at Barclay amped the alcohol in their beer, as well as the hops, so that the beer could survive the long and tumultuous journey across the Baltic Sea.

The brewers at the Anchor Brewery followed the path blazed by Barclays, brewing a beer that they boldly proclaimed would keep for seven years.  Anchor Brewery was able to supply the Russian Czars with this bold, imperial stout ... until the French blockades during the Napoleonic wars.  The markets figuratively -- and perhaps literally -- dried up.  Brewers eventually produced less of these imperial stouts and they receded to the distant memories of history.

Within the past twenty years, however, craft brewers like Weyerbacher Brewing Company have resuscitated the Imperial Stout style.  Unlike the brewers of the past, who directed their goods to European royalty, the modern craft brewers produce these hefty beers for consumption by the masses.  Recently, I purchased one of these modern versions of the Imperial Stout ... a bottle of Weyerbacher's Tiny.

The name Tiny seems rather ironic for an Imperial Stout that packs an 11.8% ABV.  This is not a tiny beer; instead, it is a bold beer in every respect -- appearance, aroma and taste.  The beer pours pitch black, with the color of tar or old, used oil.  A thin level of foam appears when poured, but it quickly recedes, leaving just the beer.  The aroma of the Tiny has its boozy notes, which compete with the Belgian yeast, roasted malts, with their chocolate and cocoa notes, and the hints of oak from the barrel aging.   As for the taste, the Tiny tastes like dark chocolate infused with alcohol, with a somewhat dry finish that seems to alternate between cocoa and coffee. All of those flavors -- dark chocolate, cocoa, and coffee -- come from the roasted malts.  There are hints of other flavors, such as a little earthiness and perhaps a little fruit, like plums or figs, but they are relegated to the edges of the palate.  

When it comes to pairing this beer, I suppose you could enjoy it with a dessert.  The question is why would you do that?  This beer is best enjoyed as a digestive, something that you can sip and enjoy after a delicious dinner.  

I found Weyerbacher's Tiny at a local grocery store.  It sold for $8.99 a bottle, which is actually a good price for such a high-powered beer. 

ENJOY!

For more about the history of imperial stouts, and the Anchor Brewery, check out the Alexander Place Time Machine and Anchor Brewery. 

The Beer That Does Not Exist ...

There is a beer that does not exist.  Search for it on the brewer's website and you are left with nothing.  Literally, nothing.

But there are rumors.  If the beer existed, it is a "robust stout," brewed in secret.  If the beer existed, the brewers trained the beer in bourbon barrels for four months.  Having passed that training, the beer faced its final test ... being bottled flat in a bottle and re-fermented with Champagne yeast.  That is, if the beer actually existed. 

There have been sightings.  Anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 cases ... total during a year.  Those cases hide in the crowd of millions of barrels of Miller Genuine Draft, Rolling Rock and Bud Light.  Very rarely, individual bottles emerge on the store shelves, only to be strike at the hearts of beer aficionados and beer lovers, like myself.  

After one long and bad day, I was staring at the store shelves, looking at dozens of beers that I've seen in the past.  Then, I caught a glimpse of the beer that does not exist.  One bottle.  No price tag.  I turned to the employee stocking the shelves and asked him, what about this beer?  He said, it was the last bottle.  Someone asked the employee to set it aside, but the employee felt that he could not do that. The bottle re-emerged on the shelf.  I grabbed the bottle and, as I looked at the label, the employee explained that the store had gotten only one case, which had basically been sold within a couple of days.  There was only one bottle left.  I asked how much the beer cost, as if it actually mattered.  The decision had been made. 

So, I purchased a bottle of the beer that does not exist ... Brooklyn Black Ops.  The Brooklyn Brewery, and its head brewer Garrett Oliver, brew this beer in the style of a Russian Imperial Stout aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels.  The brewer describes the beer as "creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oak notes."  This description is actually an understatement.  

The Black Ops pours pitch black, with a caramel hued foam. The aroma gets the nose with Woodford bourbon and Madagascar vanilla.  Perhaps the aromas of Bourbon vanilla, i.e., vanilla from the island of Bourbon in the Indian Ocean.  Wherever the vanilla came from, its sweetness and alcohol warm the drinker before even the first taste.

The taste of this beer ranks as definitely one of the best barrel-aged beers that I have tasted and, one of the best beers that I have tried.   The chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla elements were clear and well-defined.  These flavors dominated the front and middle of each taste.  As the finish emerged, the coffee flavors arose and grabbed the edges of the tongue.  As the beer is consumed, the warmth from the 10.7% ABV becomes noticeable, or maybe that is just the smile of contentment.

With only 1,000 to 1,200 cases produced a year, the Black Ops is hard to find.  It is also quite expensive, at $25.99 a bottle.  However, in this case, the beer is definitely worth the price. 

ENJOY!

Sinebrychoff Porter

When one thinks about beer, the country of Finland does not usually come to mind.  For me, I remember a Scandanavian beer tasting that Clare and I went to where we were able to sample about ten different craft brews from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and, yes, Finland.  Recently, when my parents to Clare and me to AMP 150, I got to try a porter brewed by Sinebrychoff Brewery.

Sinebrychoff Brewery claims to be the oldest brewery in Scandinavia, originally founded in 1819 in Helsinki by a Russian emigrant, Nikolai Sinebrychoff.  The brewery is best known for its porter, but it also produces soft drinks, holding the license to produce all Coca Cola products in Finland.  Since its founding, the company has become one of the largest brewers in Finland.  It has also become part of Carlsberg A/S, an even larger brewing company based out of Denmark.

Setting aside the large corporate nature of the brewery (as I usually prefer small brewers over larger ones), this beer is a good example of a "porter."  I use the quotation marks because, according to the brewer, their "porter" is brewed in accordance with the imperial stout style.  They use four malts -- pilsner, Munich, brown and caramel -- with the latter two types of malts giving the beer its distinctive color, aroma and taste.  The brewer also uses Saazar and bittering hops in the brewing process.

The brewer recommends this beer be paired with game and meat dishes, along with oysters and chocolate desserts.  I had this beer with the first few courses of my Chef's Choice dinner at AMP 150.  It went well with the Velvet Mushroom Soup, the Chicken Liver Pate and the Grilled Sweetbreads.

All in all, this beer is a good example of an imperial stout/porter.  Although I have not seen it in stores, it may be available in larger beer stores or at restaurants like AMP 150. 

ENJOY!

For more about the Sinebrychoff Brewery, check out its website and Wikipedia.

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew

About a week ago, I posted a review of North Coast's Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, a brew brewed in honor and recognition of the jazz great Thelonious Monk.  Well,  there is another brewery who has combined water, malt, hops and yeast to honor another jazz legend ... Miles Davis and the release of his album "Bitches Brew."  It has been forty years since the release of the original album and that is as good as any reason to brew a new beer.

The Bitches Brew is basically an imperial stout, which gets a twist with the use of honey and gesho root. Dogfish Head describes it as three parts imperial stout and one part Tej.  (For those following my culinary adventures, Around the World in 80 Dishes, you will remember that I made Tej, which is an Ethiopian honey wine or mead.)  The combination of a stout, with its smooth, chocolate character with Tej, which has a sweetness from the honey, is a really interesting combination. 

That combination does come through in the taste, although the taste leans more toward the stout than the Tej, which one would expect with the 3:1 characterization by Dogfish Head.  It is smooth, with sweet undertones, and, overall, a very delicious beer.  The beer could pair very well with spicy food, taming the burn of most any pepper or spice.

It is a limited edition beer with a low IBU (only 38) and a high ABV (9.0%).  It is available from coast to coast for about $12.99 a bottle.

For more info on this beer, check out NPR and Dogfish Head.

ENJOY!